Since 2001, I have been editing, proofreading, and copy editing for publishers, literary agencies, and independent authors. My personal portfolio is www.nathan-barnes.com and I run a full-service consulting firm called The Sharper Quill.
Part of my buiness has been as a freelance editor for a company that writes book summaries. In that capacity, I have worked with more than 600 best selling books in the past two years. During that time, I've noted several things about best selling books that can help readers, authors, publishers, and literary agents.
A best selling nonfiction book typically has three defining characteristics: the book is content-rich, the author has some level of expertise or has unique experience, and the book provides the reader with benefits that they can't readily get anywhere else.
This process has revolutionized my career as a freelance editor and writing consultant.
As of August 22, I have entered the data for more than 250 books. The database is tagged and fully searchable, allowing the user to locate best selling authors, books, literary agents.... all while quickly noting the price, publisher, length, and background of the author.
After all of the data entry and analysis, I'll write a book about best selling books.
For now, you can use the drop-down boxes (see the giant red arrow above?) to explore what I have so far.
If this site is helpful for you, please let me know: nathan@sharperquill.com.
Best,
Nathan Barnes, PhD
Editor
The Sharper Quill
www.nathan-barnes.com
